


W.R.E.C.K.

by Thirdly



Category: Original Work
Genre: Comedy, Fantasy, M/M, Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-01-09
Updated: 2016-02-26
Packaged: 2018-05-12 20:01:28
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 17,734
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5678782
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Thirdly/pseuds/Thirdly
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sequel to He's a Bastard. Cyrus and Revelin end up going from best men at a wedding to traveling with space pirates.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Intro- Best Men

**Author's Note:**

> This is a sequel to the story He's a Bastard.

Intro- Best Men

 

"Did you have to bring that  _thing_ with you? Didn't it cause enough trouble for everyone?"

I shifted my gaze from possible wedding gifts to my partner's incredulous face. I took a deep breath and let my gaze fall back to the objects on display. "He promised to behave. And, if he doesn't, he'll face my wrath." I replied as my hand subconsciously began to pet the top of my miniature companion's head. Vianis began to rub and butt up against my fingers in a show of affection.

For the past year, the water serpent had been encased in a jar of blue Vim. Day after day, I would stare at the jar and a miniature set of navy blue eyes would gaze back with a mixture of woe and respect. After much arguing with Revelin, he allowed me to release the grateful water serpent. Vianis had remained in a miniature form and took to my side ever since.

"I owe my newfound freedom, life, and respect to Wanderer Cyrus," Vianis hissed towards Revelin. "He bested me at my peak of power, but chose not to kill me. Until the day that I can return such a debt, I vow to be by his side and protect him."

Revelin let out a snort beside me. "How do you expect to protect him if you can barely protect yourself?"

"I should ask  _you_  the same question!"

"Alright, you two, knock it off," I chastised when I caught the two of them glaring at one another. "We're here to attend a wedding, not crash it."

"Don't you mean  _two_ weddings?" Revelin pointed out.

"Does it matter? A  _double_ wedding then." I retorted.

"Prince 'brat' will be Prince Saul's best man. Then, the brat will marry Prince Damien, where I'll be Prince Damien's best man…"

"And I'm Prince Duncan's best man," I finished. "It's not as complicated as it sounds."

"Why is everyone in such a rush to get hitched anyway? They only needed  _one_ pair for the peace to be upheld between the two kingdoms." My partner mused aloud.

"Revelin," I stated. "Just because you and I have just about the biggest commitment issues in the universe doesn't mean that others are just as afraid to take the plunge…"

"So, you admit it's a frightening plunge!" He teased with a grin on his face. I couldn't help the small smile on my face as I shook my head at him in disbelief.

We did our best to find adequate gifts for the two couples and headed back towards the castle. As we passed through the entrance hall, we caught sight of two- no, three familiar faces. Alexandra's hair had grown down to her shoulders, but Verity's hair remained short and pixie-like. Next to Verity sat the same arctic dragon that had aided in our efforts to take back Revelin's family mansion the previous year. I glanced at the dragon and raised my eyebrow at Revelin. "Now, what was that you were saying about my bringing Vianis along…?"

Verity squinted her brown eyes at the small water serpent draped over my shoulders. "I still prefer dragons."

"At this point, so might I," Revelin muttered.

"Hey, I heard that!" I huffed. "Leave Vianis alone, everyone deserves a second chance…or perhaps a third, in his case." I added in a slightly deflated tone of voice.

"Can I hold him?" Alexandra asked, holding out her hands as I passed him over to her. "Aww, how could someone with such soft scales be so bad?"

"…" Revelin's face turned red with frustration for a moment. "Fine. I see what it is. Since none of you were the most directly affected by the wanna-be eel, it's easy to forgive and forget all of last year's troubles. To. Each. Their. Own." He concluded as he stomped off towards our room.

"I…better go help calm him down," I said as I turned back towards Alexandra and Verity. "Do you two think you can keep an eye on him for a little while?" I asked. After seeing them both nod and smile, I leaned down to look Vianis in the eye. "Remember your vows and  _behave_."

"I  _will_  behave, but I do not hold myself accountable for the other people around me." Vianis conceded.

I rolled my eyes. "That'll have to do for now." I walked in the direction that my partner had taken, figuring that he'd gone to our room to sulk. But, as I turned the third corner of the hallway, my hazel eyes widened. Some strange man had all but thrown himself at Revelin and I could have sworn that I saw his tongue disappear into my partner's mouth. I didn't even recognize the growl that rumbled in the back of my throat as I walked towards them. "I thought that my days of finding you in compromising positions with  _other people_  were over long ago, Wanderer Revelin Eferize."

I caught sight of Revelin's trembling blue irises briefly before my fist collided with the side of the stranger's cheek.


	2. Trouble

 

 

**Revelin's POV:**

As soon as I turned down the second hallway, I cooled off enough to think rationally again. Vianis had indeed caused us all heaps of trouble and heartache, by default, when he led us to believe that Itharos had become corrupted. However, the serpent had also caused the chain of events that forced Cyrus to finally trust me. As much as I hated to admit it, I owed him an indirect debt.

I continued to walk, lost in such thoughts, when a voice caught my attention. I could almost feel my pupils dilating as adrenaline shot through my body. In the distance, I saw a dark red scarf wrapped around red-orange hair that was floating behind the person that my body had identified as an immediate threat. His eyes were the color of gold wheat and he wore a layered shirt with several objects dangling from it and tight black pants tucked into long brown boots. It was Kazren. Kazren was running towards me. _Why_ was Kazren even here? _Fuck_. Where did my partner go, and why wasn't he ever around when I needed to use him as an alternate focal point?

I must have still been well into my adrenaline rush, because I felt and saw everything in slow motion. I was startled when I felt a tongue that most definitely was not Cyrus's brush briefly against my own. I also caught sight of Cyrus's furious hazel gaze in and heard his growl in an extended form before the spike of adrenaline finally died down. I was able to step back fast enough for the blonde to have a clear shot at the redhead, and finally, everything began to run at normal speed again for me. As I gazed at Kazren, I couldn't help but feel grateful that I wasn't the one that Cyrus punched.

"And _you_!" Even though the low, menacing tone of voice wasn't directed at me, I still found myself cringing at the sound. "Don't you dare touch him without permission again you…just what _are_ you, a pirate gypsy?"

It was only through sheer strength of will that I managed not to snicker at the interesting title that my partner chose to label my once 'friend with benefits.' "I'm sorry about that," I apologized to a stunned Kazren that was holding his cheek and gaping down at Cyrus. "In my defense, you should have waited for me to speak before trying to kiss me so suddenly-OW!" I cried when Cyrus's dexterous fingers quickly threaded into my hair and pulled. "Ow ow ow…I'm sorry, Cy. It won't ever happen again, I promise. Ouch! That hurts, damn it!"

"You should have thought about that _before_ going around allowing some pirate gypsy to kiss you like that," Cyrus growled in my ear as he, once again, tugged mercilessly at my hair.

I don't know why, but I was becoming rather aroused. Not so much by his forcefulness, but by the fire behind his hazel eyes. It had been quite a while since I had seen that expression on my partner's face. Damn. I almost forgot how sexy he looked whenever he was angered. "Hmm, I think I'm going to need some thorough disinfection." I purred as I gazed at him through half-lidded eyes. " _Very_ thorough."

The blonde finally let go with a soft huff, but he couldn't hide the slight pink that formed on his cheeks. I wanted him. I wanted to claim him right there in the hallway and-

"Hey, I'm still right here!" Kazren practically shrieked. I wondered briefly if he had recognized the look of lust on my face. "Honestly!" He straightened up to his full height, wincing as he touched his tender jaw. "Aren't you going to introduce us?"

I rubbed the back of my neck in a nervous gesture as I looked at them both. "Kazren, this is my partner in absolutely everything, Wanderer Cyrus Kairos. Cy, this is Kazren an old…friend of mine."

"By 'friend,' I'm sure meant 'lover,'" Cyrus snorted as he gave Kazren a once over. "Never thought I'd come across a pirate gypsy, of all things."

"I am no such thing." Kazren hissed. "I am simply a Revolutionary."

"Keep telling yourself that," Cyrus replied in a snarly manner. "Since you genuinely did not seem to know that we were exclusive, I'll let this particular incident slide. But, be warned that I can best even Revelin when it comes to using Vim."

Kazren shook his head and sent me an incredulous look. "You always did prefer the more violent type, didn't you?"

I merely shrugged. "What are you doing here, anyway? You don't usually venture into this dimension except when forced, or in dire circumstances."

"Alexandra," Kazren replied. His expression hardened in a way that I had never seen on his face before. "There is something about her home dimension that I must tell her personally."

"She's at the entrance hall with Verity. You can't miss them, they have an arctic dragon with them." Cyrus informed him.

Kazren simply nodded in reply before taking off down the hall. He never once looked back.

The hairs on the back of my neck stood up as I realized that Kazren must have brought back more trouble with him than I had originally thought. Before I had the chance to think about it any further, I felt my arm being tugged. I downright stumbled twice before Cyrus all but shoved me into our room. "For someone who doesn't like being handled, you sure-" I wasn't able to say anything more. Though I had teased about being 'disinfected' before, I didn't realize that I must have hit close to home. Cyrus's tongue was doing things inside my mouth that would have made a lesser man swoon. As it was, my knees were beginning to feel a little weak.

I needn't have worried, though, because the blonde deftly maneuvered me to sit on the bed and promptly straddled my lap. I was a goner. My groan of appreciation was lost within Cyrus's cavern. I made a mental note to try to get Cyrus jealous more often. When we began softly grinding in earnest, we heard a loud knock at the door. For a while there, both of us pretended not to have heard it, but then the knocking became thunderous.

With a hiss, I slid Cyrus onto the bed and stomped over to the door. "What the hell do you want!?" I all but bellowed. The universe's most annoying creature was shoved in my face. I wanted to trap him back in that damn jar for the rest of his unnatural life. "You couldn't keep him with you for just _one_ night?"

"He talks too damn much. Group meet after the ceremony." Alexandra replied in an authoritative tone that I knew better than to try to argue with. I watched her walk away with Kazren in tow and frowned as her actions verified that trouble was certainly brewing.

"The ceremony begins in an hour, why are neither of you ready yet? Aren't you the bestmen-HACK!"

My hand subconsciously began to tighten its grip on the serpent.

"Help me Master Cyrus!" Vianis squeaked and Cyrus quickly came over to forcefully pry my hands open to free him.

"Revelin Eferize," The warning behind Cyrus's low growl meant that we were no longer going to be able to finish what we started. I let out a long sigh and pulled out our clothes from the closet.

:::::::::::::::::::::::

The ceremony was simple and went off without a hitch. As best men, my partner and I were in the perfect position to protect both royal couples from any incidents. But, it appeared as if the people of both kingdoms truly were tired of the wars of their predecessors. Everything was rather peaceful.

While I looked on at my charges as they began such heavy commitments, I realized that they had finally reached adulthood. A small wave of nostalgia hit me as I recalled how young Damien and Dandelion were when I was first hired to watch over them. Neither of them had quite hit puberty, so they were both the same height. They had always been smart, adorable, and full of trouble. Now, they knew enough to keep such trouble to themselves for the sake of others. Damn if I didn't feel proud.

When the end of the ceremony came to pass, I felt another feeling entirely as I gazed on the faces of joy and relief on the royal couples' faces. I would be lying to myself if I said I never truly _thought_ about marriage in general. Why, it had only been a year since I even allowed myself to admit to the fact that I finally found someone that I wanted by my side for far longer than just a day. But, as my gaze settled on Cyrus, I couldn't help but imagine what being married to him could be like. Life with Cyrus was already entertaining enough as it was, marriage wouldn't change that…

However, the trust that we had built up until now would be amplified if we were ever wedded. And, maybe, some of Cy's remaining fears would be laid to rest if the ring on my finger announced to others that I was taken. I had never even thought about becoming an Idler before, but after sharing a lifetime with Cyrus? Cosmos, I think we'd retire as hard as we worked. I envisioned a peaceful retirement with him. A pleasant retirement. Was marriage truly such a horrible thing?

"If you keep staring at me like a lecher, the people will not take our vows seriously," I heard Duncan whisper to Damien.

The blonde prince let out a soft chuckle beside him. "I see that you are ready to take your responsibilities as king seriously."

"And _you_ arenot?" Duncan countered.

"Aren't I technically the 'queen' in this union?" Damien teased. "Ack!" He hissed as Duncan stepped on his foot.

Right, I thought to myself. I forgot that one phrase that used to be my mantra. _'Marriage is not a word. It is a sentence...a_ _ **life**_ _sentence.'_ In some cases, it gave the right for a betrothed to make and break their intended as they saw fit. I didn't think either of us would be ready for matrimony any time soon.

When the ceremony was over, Cyrus and I dumped our gifts onto a table at the reception and met with Alexandra, Kazren, and Verity on top of one of the towers of the castle when an aircraft that was very familiar to me approached us. Whenever children would see it in motion, they called it the "flying ice cream cone," and I never bothered to correct them. Why? The designer must have had desserts on his or her mind, because that was exactly what it looked like while in motion.

The top of half of the ship spun so fast that the panels seemed to merge into swirls, giving the top half the appearance of soft-served ice cream. The bottom half was quite literally in the shape of an upside-down cone with a pearl-like hue. I lifted my eyebrow as I noticed something new. Lights lined the top panels, castings soft colors onto the top half, making it seem as if the ship was Neapolitan in nature, shifting from vanilla, to chocolate, and strawberry. Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed that Cyrus was becoming rather pale.

"Can't we travel by ground?" He whimpered.


	3. Exploring

 

_ **Cyrus's POV:** _

Everyone around me saw a ship, if a very oddly shaped one, coming towards us. I saw a nightmare of an unstable form of transportation. It had taken me months to simply adjust to walking through arch-passages, from one dimension to another. I had traveled by water whenever we visited Idlers Makith and Itharos, our friends living in a civilization of nymphs. But, I had never been forced to travel in the sky before. In an attempt to distract me, my mind brought Verity's dragon into focus. "How are we going to board her into the ship?" I asked aloud as I motioned towards the arctic dragon.

As if to spite me, the ship easily opened up a hatch that was even wider than the combined roads of a highway. Everyone stepped back as the pathway latched onto the edge of the tower. All I could think of was 'unstable, unstable, unstable.' I felt Revelin's arm around my waist as he began to quite literally walk me onto the ship. I forced myself not to look down or around as we walked, but as soon as we were inside, I gaped at everything.

A loud smack startled everyone. When I looked towards the source of the sound, it took me a moment to figure out exactly what happened. A male, crimson dragon had apparently rushed towards Verity's dragon, and the arctic dragon had immediately swung her tail to slap him into the ground, as he was half her size. She let out a warning roar right into his face.

I looked on as Verity lowered herself to look the crimson dragon in the eye. "Serves you right for startling Crystal like that." She chided as she stared down at brown eyes. "She does like anything that deals with chocolate, though. So, if you stare her down with your big, puppy eyes long enough, she might forgive you."

"I let you out of my sight for a few hours and you come back sporting a black eye, Kazren?"

We all turned to the source of the sound and I barely managed to fight down the urge to snicker. Unlike Kazren, the man before us looked downright like a pirate. He wore an opened, tattered tailcoat of a captain, with no shirt underneath, and buckled brown pants tucked into top-heavy black boots. He wore a gun holster and his hat featured a long, golden feather that had seen better days. He had a black goatee with a sharply shaped mustache that made him appear downright devious with the short, messy black strands on the top of his head. His eyes were a startling shade of pale green.

"It was a misunderstanding, Gar." Kazren replied. He didn't even look our way as he said it.

"Where are my manners? My name is Garridan, I am the captain of this ship." He introduced himself with a slight bow. "Kazren here is my unwilling first mate and co-pilot. We don't quite agree with the actions of our home dimension at the moment, so we are quite the homeless outlaws."

"You were able to leave your home dimension with all of _this_?" I questioned as I motioned to the enormous ship.

"Have you told him nothing, Lin?" Kazren wondered aloud.

"I haven't had the chance," Revelin replied through clenched teeth beside me.

"I'm certain that any past tales are on a need to know basis," I said. "I'm already used to the fact that I will never know what is going on until it happens."

"Wait, Cy, it's not like that," My partner told me with a slight frown on his face. He lifted my chin so that I would look him. "They are just very bad experiences that I didn't want to relive just yet."

"Honestly!" Kazren hissed in an indignant manner. "They weren't _all_ so bad."

"Knowing you, I'm certain that they _were_." Garridan teased the redhead. Our attention drifted towards them once again.

"You know nothing about me in that way," Kazren growled.

"Only because you won't allow me to," Garridan retorted.

"You two are almost as fun to watch as Lin and Cy," Alexandra purred.

I saw the two of them take a step back, as if they had forgotten that we were there, and the captain finally returned to the subject at hand.

"My apologies," Garridan continued as he turned his attention to Alexandra. "Lexie, I'm certain that 'Ren has told you what we've seen. They are convinced that you're actually there, in hiding. It's like they've taken the entire country hostage until they find you."

"Stubborn, _stupid_ , Luis. This is why we don't have any Wanderers or Idlers left, they refuse to believe what's right in front of their eyes." Alexandra responded. "It's just...if it's me they want..." She let out a sigh of defeat. "Take us there."

"I had a feeling that was going to be your decision," Kazren commented. "Follow me, everyone. It will take us a few hours to get to Wight-Led. I think we have some empty rooms in B4."

"Verity would you be a dear and keep an eye on Ronin for me while I pull up the invisibility shield and get us ready to depart?" Garridan asked.

Verity let out a soft snort. "And I thought I was bad when I named mine Crystal." She said as she shook her head and led the dragons away.

Revelin and I followed Kazren and Alexandra to an elevator. As we stepped into the shaft, my fingers subconsciously began to clutch at my partner's arm. When he didn't make a single noise, I looked up to find his blue eyes distant. His close group of friends were the only family he had. I was worried, but not to the extent that Rev seemed to be worried. I tugged on his arm for him to bend down and whispered into his ear. "Have a little more faith in the strength of your friends." When he looked at me, I sent him a reassuring smile, one that he knew was rare. He answered with a half-smile of his own, which made the effort worth it. But, the moment was broken by Vianis finally making his presence known.

"Do we have enough time to explore this immense ship?" The serpent asked.

"Why don't you explore it on your own?" Revelin replied with sharp undertones. "Just think, you could wander into the kitchens, where the chef could be making eel soup..."

"Revelin," I chided when Vianis once again hid under my clothes. "Must you be so mean to him?"

"Yes."

When we were brought in front of two rooms, Revelin took Alexandra aside. I hoped that he was reassuring her, we came along to help her, after all. I felt a hand on my shoulder and looked up at Kazren.

"Hey, I'm sorry about before," He apologized. The shock on my face must have been obvious, because he elaborated. "I really didn't know. I'm still trying to get my head around it, even. The way Lin was before...let's just say that I know why Alexandra calls him 'Limber'."

I shook my head. "No, _I_ know why Lexie calls him Limber. He's only ever bottomed for me."

"And now, you have not only physically wounded me, but also mentally scarred me all in one day." He admitted.

I couldn't help but laugh. "Then, I also apologize for both." I said as I extended a hand for him to take. "Truce?"

"Definitely," Kazren replied, taking my hand.

He smiled at me for the first time and I realized that it was just that kind of attitude that ensured his place as a future ally.

The girls settled into one room while Revelin and I entered another. Before I finished closing the door, Vianis resurfaced onto my shoulders.

"Actually, I think I do want to look around for a little while," He suggested. "May I?"

"Go right ahead," I replied. "Just keep out of trouble." I carefully lowered the serpent onto the ground and watched him scamper off before closing the door. I looked over at my partner. "Vianis is out exploring."

Revelin was already shedding his clothing. A feral smile formed on his face. "Why don't we take a shower together?"

::::::::::

a/n: Introducing Vianis's point of view!

_**Vianis's POV :** _

Despite what anyone else thought, I was grateful to Wanderer Cyrus for many things. One of those many things was the fact that the young master granted me hind legs and paws with the ability to stick to anything, allowing me to travel faster than how I normally traveled, and on the ceiling. They were useful, as was my miniature size. I had developed quite a soft spot for the blonde Vim carrier. The others seemed to trust those pirates without question. But, I wanted to know more about them before placing any such trust in them. I clambered up the wall and over to the ceiling as I explored the hallways. I snuck into one of the elevators and started to explore the bottom floor.

The first thing I came across was the disturbing image of dragons mating rather fervently. Averting my gaze, I rushed back over to the elevator and explored the floor above it. Pirates of all kinds, along with several civilians that seemed to originate from other dimensions wandered the hallways. Not a single one thought to look up as I re-entered the elevator and moved on. The floors that followed revealed kitchens, laundromats, and a gift shop. Eventually, I ended up in the ship's version of a cockpit. Little did I realize that it had, quite ironically, turned into a 'cock'-pit indeed.

"Garridan!"

Such a lovely moan. I could feel my eyelids practically fluttering as I tilted my head back just in time to see our captain going down on his first mate. Thank goodness for autopilot. From where I was standing, the captain was certainly doing a great job.

::::::::::

_**Cyrus's POV**_ :

"Rev..." I gasped breathlessly as my partner's hands slid along my wet skin. The water was set a tad colder than lukewarm precisely because we planned on heating one another up. So far, I wasn't disappointed in the slightest. I reached over to pull him into a heady kiss, sucking on his bottom lip. "Mmm, why don't you put your Vim to good use?"

"With pleasure." I heard him growl in my ear.

Unfortunately, I also heard a completely different sound coming from somewhere above us. "Wait, do you hear that?" The sound became louder and sporadic. One particular echo caused me to jump. "What _is_ that?"

"Sounds like plasma shots." Revelin replied with a sigh.

Concerned, I didn't hesitate to step out of the shower and wrap a towel around my waist. I started to gather the clothes that were tossed all around so that I could put them on and investigate. But, a loud buzzing noise began to come from the door. "Revelin..." I warned before hesitantly opening the door. I was met with the sight of a messy-haired Kazren holding Vianis up by the scruff of his tiny neck. He immediately dropped him and I had to scramble to hold my towel in place and catch the serpent with the other hand. "Vianis?" I questioned as I straightened back up and glared at the redhead. "Why...?"

"The shameless little voyeur interrupted something private," Kazren hissed. "You're lucky that Garridan's shots kept missing."

"Well, there's nothing quite like running for one's life that make someone move as fast as I did in order to _avoid_ them," Vianis whined in a voice that cracked.

"My apologies," I told him with a slight frown. "From now on, he will _not_ be left to wander alone." I looked at Vianis with a disapproving glance only to find him looking at the ground with remorse. "You should know better." Was all I said as I closed the door once again.


	4. Chapter 4

 

**Vianis's POV:**

Neither my master nor his ruffian were very happy with me for the rest of the flight. In fact, I seemed to have made an enemy of just about everyone on that strange ship. Not all of it was my fault! I was but a scapegoat to the crew for every little thing that went wrong. But, just when I had begun to plan out several different ways to seek revenge on the entire lot, we arrived at our destination.

"I'll cloak us," Kazren stated as he activated a device on the ship.

"Things weren't this bad when we left," Garridan said with a frown as he brought the ship in for a landing. "They really have taken over now..."

I saw Alexandra peering at the display. The emotions that played on her face when she saw the extent of the military invasion of her home caused the tension in the cockpit to rise. "Wight-Led...what has happened to you?"

"It was hard enough sneaking ourselves  _out_ , now you want us to go back in willingly?" Kazren questioned the captain.

"Not us, we're merely the taxi drivers. This is Alexandra's decision. Although, I do advise that you think things through. As soon as you're found, there isn't any guarantee that you'll be taken directly to Luis." Garridan pointed out.

"And you are absolutely not going in there alone," Verity hissed from beside her.

"So, now we have to figure out a way to get in there without being detected." Revelin added.

"Vianis can get us in." My master suggested.

"I, what?" I stammered. " _Me_?"

"Yes you," Cyrus insisted as I felt a cold shiver running through my spine. "You can get in there without being detected and find a way to sneak us in from the inside."

I refused to curl in on myself when I felt the weight of the gazes of every person in the room. I had been given a direct order by the person I had vowed eternal loyalty to. So, with a deep puffing of my chest, I conceded. "Very well."

* * *

"Are you seriously going to trust that little eel to do anything of use?" Revelin questioned my master. I hissed at him and he glared down at me.

"Yes," Cyrus replied as he fastened a charm around my neck. "With this he can communicate with us once he's figured out how to get us inside." He reminded him. "You have three days, Vianis." He stated as he turned his attention back to me. "After that, we'll assume you were taken into custody and have to figure out another way."

"Understood, master." I replied, trying to hold back any embarrassing noises that resulted from the blonde's petting.

I rushed down the ramp and towards the edge of the wall that surrounded the country. My colorful scales would surely draw attention to myself, so I used the limited power I had to turn them a brown hue as camouflage.

My heart raced when one of the guards looked my way on the other side. I held perfectly still until I saw his gaze fall on a woman's backside. With a sigh of relief, I continued to move.

I was concentrating on finding the aura of a person that was easily susceptible to possession, and it was proving to be a more difficult task than I had thought.

I walked for hours, searching in every corner, until I finally came across the kind of victim that I was searching for.

"Hmm, not very powerful, but able to channel power in and out easily. You'll do rather well, I think." I mused aloud as I clambered up the man's leg. His skin was a similar shade of brown as my camouflage and he appeared to be drifting in and out of consciousness, sprawled on the ground.

I made my way up to his shoulder so that he could hear me. "You, what is your name?" I hissed into his ear.

"Huh?" The man stirred, frowning. He blinked his eyes open. They were a caramel hue. "Where?" He asked aloud as he sat up and turned his head from side to side.

"Ah!  _Honestly_!" I hissed as my claws swiped at the thick, curly hair that formed a cotton-like puff around his head. "Hold still, I'm right here!" I held on tightly to his shoulder as his gaze found mine. "What is your name?"

"Wh-what the  _fuck_!?" The man hissed as he scrambled onto a standing position. "Gotta be hallucinating..."

"If that's what you'd prefer to think of me as, then you are welcome to it." I drawled. "I am Vianis, the most resourceful of water serpents and servant to a powerful Wanderer. Now, what is  _yours_?"

"D-Darryl...shit, I gotta lay off the  _Gravel_..." He whimpered.

" _Il Sethal Issa Kan ee Darryl_ ," I hissed the incantation that would allow me passage into the man's body. He seemed to be too shocked to struggle, even after he felt my ribbon-like form shooting up his nostrils.

* * *

"Aaargh," I groaned as I held onto the forehead of my new host. "Darryl, your mind is absolutely filthy."

_'What is this?'_ Darryl's voice echoed in my mind. _'What's happening?'_

" _Shh!_  Quiet down, I have to try to think through your disgusting brain..." I chided as I picked up the fallen charm I was given and activated it.

"Vianis?" I heard the voice of my master coming through immediately.

"This...this Gravelhead has more holes in his mind than anyone I've ever possessed!" I whined into the charm. "But, he will do for now."

"So you've found someone-?" Cyrus commented on the other side only to be interrupted by his partner.

"Did he just say  _possessed_?" I heard Revelin's voice ringing through. "I thought the plan was for him to find someone to sneak us in, not to hijack someone else's body for himself!"

"We can't afford to be picky about his methods..." Cyrus countered. "Vianis, just keep us posted."

"I will," I replied as he cut the connection.

_'That thing is awesome! Will I get to play with it?'_ Darryl cooed.

I felt every muscle in the body stiffen.  _'How is it that you are still partly conscious?'_  I hissed in response.

_'Naw, I've been doing number two just fine,'_  the man replied.

_'Conscious, not_ _ **constipated**_ _...it doesn't matter. Your body is mine for the time being. If you behave and keep quiet, it will be returned to you as soon as possible.'_  I promised as I sorted through his memories, trying to find out where the man lived. As soon as I found the information, I headed back out into the streets in search of the tiny apartment.

The place was a mess. Clothes were littered all over the floor and the entire apartment smelled of dead fish. "You clearly don't clean up after yourself on a regular basis," I commented outloud as I opened the closet. I let out a sigh of relief when I found some clothes that were still clean. I took them with me into the bathroom, which was surprisingly clean compared to the rest of the apartment.

_'The bathroom helps keep me clean once a week...it's only fair that I keep IT clean once a week too.'_ Darryl commented mulishly.

"You clearly don't hold the rest of the apartment to the same standard, do you?" I snorted in amusement as I began to shave the body's beard and most of the hair.

_'Hey, I liked my hair and beard long!'_  My host whimpered.

"Hair grows." When I was through, I swept up the fallen hair up and showered meticulously. By the time I emerged, the body was sharply dressed and smelled of lavender. "You do clean up rather nicely," I told Darryl as I inspected my work in a full length mirror.

_'You turned me into some kinda high class snot.'_  Darryl grumbled.

"You know nothing of class," I retorted. "Now, help me find a way to sneak my companions into the city." Once again, I scrolled through Darryl's memories and thoughts, slowing down on a scene that showed that the wall wasn't fully built. Apparently, there were only four rows of metal planks from the ground up. "That might do."

* * *

A few hours later, I was there to assist my master and some of the others into the city.

"Nicely done, Visual." Alexandra commended.

"... _Visual_?" I questioned with a raised eyebrow. "It's  _Vianis_."

"Not for  _me_  it isn't." She countered.

"We don't have any time," Cyrus reminded in a hushed whisper. "Vianis, you stay with Verity and Crystal. If anything goes sour while Revelin and I take Lexie to Luis, we will need your help."

As my master, Revelin, and Alexandra ran off, I peered sideways at Verity. "Tell me again why we're bringing a dragon into the city?"

Verity gave Crystal's snout a soft pat. "She's gotten everyone out of tough situations in the past. I doubt she'll stop being useful now." She then looked me in the eye. "But, how about we leave her in your friend Darryl's apartment for now and go get ourselves some drinks at the local bar to calm our nerves until we hear from them again?"

As I began to lead the way, I could almost hear the smugness in Darryl's voice.

_'I_ _**like** _ _her.'_

After we did as Verity suggested and left Crystal in the apartment, Darryl pointed something out to us.

_'We don't exactly have a typical bar in Wight-Led...it's more like a club.'_

_'What kind of club?'_  I mentally asked with a long sigh.

_'A strip club.'_

"Oh, it's a strip club!" Verity unintentionally echoed Darryl's words. "Doesn't matter to me, I still need a drink. Come on, Vi." She demanded as she tugged on my arm.

_'Such a vulgar place,'_  I thought dryly.

_'You really need to chill out sometimes,'_  Darryl snickered.

_'I would never step foot in such a place willingly, not even-'_  The thought died instantly when I took in the sight of the nearest performer. He was undoubtedly male, and was quite skilled as he danced and twirled suspended by some type of fabric.

_'Whoa.'_  Darryl muttered.

"My thoughts exactly." I gasped as my gaze locked onto the sight. He was as beautiful as his movements. I tried to justify what I was feeling, to blame it on the species that I had possessed. But, even my true serpent form began to fantasize about staking its claim on the dancer. Neither Darryl nor I ever wanted anyone or anything so badly until that moment.

When Verity shoved a drink into my hand, I didn't hesitate to gulp it down, desperate for something to distract me from the sultry performance.


	5. Planning

** Cyrus's POV: **

As the three of us made our way to some strange business building, I felt confused about the land Alexandra once called 'home.' A country by default. The core of it was city-esque in nature…but, Wight-Led appeared to be barely more than the size of a small town. For Luis to have so easily taken over the place with an army alone spoke volumes about the country's defenses, it surely had none.

We made a plan on the fly to somehow capture Luis and force him to retract his militia from Wight-Led, but it was all shot to hell the moment we saw the man and his entourage enter a conference room. Alexandra spurred into action. My partner was right on her heals, as if he had expected her to do such a thing. The woman launched herself in a graceful arch moments before her knees landed on the shoulders of one of the soldiers and…

I sighed as I joined them in the chaos. Between the three of us, we made short work of the soldiers. The men were alive, but unconscious. That had been the first time I had ever seen Lexie at such a speed. I was used to my partner doing such things with rapid efficiency, but never my lilac-eyed friend.

" _Luis, just what in the hell do you think you're doing?"_ Alexandra outright roared.

" _What do we do now?"_  I whispered to my partner as we peered into the conference room that Alexandra had just stormed into.

"I'm thinking, I'm thinking," Revelin replied as he rubbed his temples with a hand.

"Why, Lexie?" Luis sighed, drawing my attention to him. The man was standing rigidly with his hands behind his back as he stared out at the view of the city through the glass wall in the room. "Why did you insist on rejecting me in the past?" He tossed a glare over his shoulder. His lightning blue eyes were a stark contrast to his deep bronze skin. "First, the rivalry with that callous Revelin…"

"Rivalry was all it was!" Alexandra insisted, a blush forming on her face. "I mean, sure Lin always had a nice butt to stare at, but it wasn't-"

"And then, you allowed yourself to be seduced by that wretched Verity!"

"For the umpteenth time, Verity is my  _best friend_!" She growled. "I care about her and Lin a great deal, but that doesn't mean I want to have those kinds of relationships with either of them!" Fists formed at her sides and I wondered if she was restraining herself from attacking the taller man. "For the love of the cosmos! Luis, this is ridiculous. One does  _not_ hijack an entire country just for a damn date!"

"A  _date_?" A half strangled sound came out of my mouth at the incredulity of it all. One would think that I would have been used to such chaos already. "Is  _that_ what all this is about? A general not being able to take rejection like a man?"

Fierce eyes narrowed in my direction as the taller man sneered at me. "What does a tiny thing such as yourself know about being a man?" He stated in a rather icy and calm tone. Nothing about his physical appearance inspired any kind of fear from me, but that tone of voice did.

For once, I felt no embarrassment about Revelin stepping in front of me to block me from the general's view.

"Luis, is that what all of this is really about?" Revelin questioned.

"Of course it isn't," Luis hissed as he directed his attention back towards Alexandra. "And though I feel rather insulted about such assumptions, and still believe things would have turned out better had you married me in the first place, there isn't any time to waste." He picked up a remote and aimed it towards the wall of the room. The entire wall lit up like a screen and began to play footage of several men of high rank sitting in a semi-circle and talking to one another.

"To these men, Wight-Led is nothing more than an indigenous little village nestled into a planet that is ripe for the picking." He explained. "When they asked for a volunteer unit to lay siege to Wight-Led until they raised enough funds to invade it, I took on the task. I can only buy you so much time to decide what to do." He reached over to lift Alexandra's chin. His expression turned soft and sorrowful. "Lexie, you've said it before, you made that odd dimension's 'Earth' your home and gave up Wandering to become its Idler. But, we were both born in this small country. Would you see the entire planet corrupted for wealth?"

"That's why you were trying to finish up that wall, you were trying to bide some time?" Revelin mused outloud.

I could almost see the agony that all of this caused my female friend. She seemed rather torn.

"Hometown or not," I pointed out. "It's all that the townsfolk have ever known. Can't quite ask them to up and move…"

"Cyber, you're a genius!" Lexie exclaimed as she took hold of my shoulders and gave me a shake. "Home isn't where you're born or where you live, it's the people around you. Why don't we warp all of Wight-Led into a safer dimension?"

I gaped at her as if she grown a few heads. "Is something like that even possible?"

"It  _is_  possible…though it would take a lot of work," Revelin mused beside me, rubbing his chin in thought. "And I mean a  _lot_ of work. Why, it would take an entire conductive fleet-"He trailed off as Alexandra and himself began to stare Luis down.

"You want  _me_  to help  _you_ move an entire town into another dimension?" Luis asked aloud. From the sound of it, he seemed to think it as impossible as I did.

"What was that you said earlier?" Lexie countered.  _"Would you rather see the town in the midst of a greedy planet take-over, or would you rather move it to a safer place?"_

"That wasn't what I said at all." The general replied in a deadpan voice. He then let out a long sigh. "This is one of the most ridiculous plans I have ever attempted to help accomplish."

"Yes, you're the best!" Lexie cried as she promptly gave the taller man a loud kiss on the lips. "If we manage to get through this, I'll be the one asking  _you_ out on a date!"

I gave Luis a rather critical glance over, as if weighing if he were good enough for my violet-haired friend when I felt a tug at my elbow.

"We don't have time for that, appraise him later." Revelin pointed out with a snicker.

I sighed, knowing that he was right, and ran after him and Lexie while the two of them began to talk about their extravagant plan.

::::::::::

_Vianis's POV_ :

The more that I looked around, the more I realized how unnecessarily  _extravagant_  that supposed strip club was. The town should have spent its wealth on more important things. As my gaze drifted over to the talented dancer for the umpteenth time that night, I scoffed. The damn town should have monitored the royalties that rolled into the club in the first place.

' _Royalties, huh? That guy's worth his weight in 'em, I mean hotdamn.'_ Darryl commented.

' _Silence.'_ I mentally responded.

_'Come on, you can't tell me you wouldn't tap that ass if you had the opportunity.'_

Just then, as if to utterly taunt me, the male dancer's gaze locked with mine and I found myself gulping hard. His eyes were reminiscent of pale blue fire opals with aquamarine flecks. Though I forced myself not to show it on the outside, I began to panic when the young man approached us with swinging hips.

_'Oh shit, he's coming our way! Do something!'_ Darryl urged.

_'Just what in the cosmos would you have me do?'_ I countered.

_'Slip a tip in his thong, buy him a drink, anything!'_

"Give our two new guests a couple of Vitaroga's on the house, Eleven." His voice was as soft and seductive as his dancing.

_'Wow. Well, he beat us to it.'_ Darryl murmured.

"Thanks, er..." Verity trailed off as she waited for him to say his name.

"My stage name is The Chestnut Coronet." He supplied as he motioned towards his curly, shoulder length hair. "The chestnut color of the hummingbird's breast is apparently the same color as my hair, though I've never seen one in the flesh." He then leaned forward a little. "However, I will still respond to 'C-C' or 'Double C' if that's easier for you."

"Then, thanks 'C-C'," Verity reiterated as the bartender slid their drinks towards them. "Just how strong is this drink?"

"It has more flavor than liquor, I assure you. " The dancer replied.

My eyes widened when I saw the white-haired woman gulp down the drink all in one go. Honestly, did Wanderers have no shame? It was unprofessional to consume any amount of liquor at all while on a mission, but to down such a tall glass in one go? "That will be a no from me," I said loudly enough to be heard over the music. "Your intentions were quite courteous, but liquor, and other such substances are not to my liking." After all, I had already mindlessly consumed the shot that I was handed by Verity earlier and regretted it instantly.

_"My, my,"_ The other man gasped as he took a step closer to us. The less distance that separated us, the more I inwardly panicked. "You have quite a lovely accent. I've never heard that kind of an accent before."

_'He totally wants in your pants...or is it_ our  _pants? Does it count when I'm not even in control anymore?'_ Darryl rambled.

Between Darryl and the performer, I was so distracted that I barely even registered the fact that Verity was already downing my unattended drink, as well. I would have begun to read the dictionary out loud for him if that was what he wished, but just then my master's charm began to glow insistently. Oh, damn it all.

"Listen to me," I stated as I took hold of both of the dancer's hands and looked into his beautiful eyes. "You are a magnificent, talented, dancer. The grace and beauty with which you move and speak is just as impressive. However, my comrade and I must now depart. I do not know if I am to ever see your lovely face again, but know that you are worth more than a thousand crowns of gold!"

That being said, I half-dragged Verity with me out of the club and didn't activate the charm until we were about a block away. "Master?"

"Cyber and Lin are busy arranging soldiers around the perimeter of the wall." It was Alexandra's face that appeared hovering above the charm this time. She frowned as her gaze landed on Verity, who had started to dance out of rhythm beside me. "Is my girl doing alright over there?"

I winced. "She may have had one too many Vitarogas..."

"Fucking hell!" Alexandra hissed. "That girl can't take her liquor at all, yet alone a Vitaroga. That shit's downright mild to those who grew up in Wight-Led, but it's  _fierce_  on foreigners..."

"I have a feeling it was meant to intoxicate  _me_ instead, but she went and-"

"Doesn't matter!" Alexandra cut me off. "You get her and Crystal somewhere safe and brace yourselves."

"Brace ourselves?" I questioned.

_'I don't like the sound of that, either,'_ Darryl put in his two cents.

"Yes." She affirmed. "We're shifting all of Wight-Led into another dimension."

"Crisis in the cosmos!" I squawked.

 


	6. Unprecedented

 

**Revelin's POV:**

I was given the daunting task of getting our outlaw friends up to date on what we were planning to do. Kazren wasn't a fan of any kind of displacement energy. That was why he had undoubtedly joined a pirate crew on a ship rather than taken up any Wandering or Idling. The last time the redhead walked through one of my portals, his lunch ended up all over my favorite boots. And to tell him we were displacing an entire town? Well, I've survived worse.

"Kaz, Garridan," I spoke into the communicator charm. "We're about to do something stupid and dangerous on a town-sized scale. If you don't want to get caught up in the displacement field, you might want to hightail it out of the planet."

"Town-sized!?" Kazren squeaked with different levels of fear in his voice. I could hear them all.

"Yes, as crazy as it sounds, it's as sound a plan as any." I remarked.

"Taking off as we speak." Captain Garridan responded with a groan as he shifted to bear the weight of a clinging, panicked, Kazren. "The best of luck to all of you. We expect to hear from you after your strange endeavor."

"No need to worry about us, but yeah. I'll be sure to contact you after the worst is over." I agreed. "Oh, and pull yourself together, Kazren. For pity's sake, you're not going to be anywhere near the displacement field."

As the charm faded into its usual dull color, I walked over towards my partner and gave him a rather thorough kiss. The blonde was a downright mess when we pulled apart, which caused me to smirk. "Not that I doubt our capabilities, but should something grave happen, I wouldn't want to die with any regrets."

"Then, neither do I." He admitted as he tugged me back down for another fervent kiss.

I felt that damn kiss down to my toes. Before either of us knew it, I ended up lifting his thighs and pinning him against the wall as we continued to practically devour each other.

"Whoa. As hot as that is, we don't have time for it," Alexandra stated. "Break it up and let's get things started."

"Why haven't we been able to finish what we start lately?" Cyrus whimpered.

"I've been asking myself the same question for the past couple of weeks." I growled in response.

 

* * *

 

**Vianis's POV:**

When my master told me to stay with the white-haired Wanderer and her dragon, this wasn't exactly what I had in mind. The woman fainted on me halfway to Darryl's apartment. I barely managed to grab her before her head hit the ground. Though she was small, she wasn't exactly light. I don't know how I managed to carry her the rest of the way, but I did.

I deposited her on Darryl's bed. Though she was a tomboy of a woman, I knew better than to simply drop her onto the floor. That wouldn't have been very gentlemanly at all. And, underneath it all, I considered myself to be a gentleman.

' _Is that why you didn't invite that hottie over to my place?'_ Darryl commented. _'Not that I mind Verity sleeping in my bed. She's a gem. I'd sleep with her in a heartbeat if she asked-'_

' _That will be quite enough from you,'_ I hissed.

' _Just because I can appreciate both genders is no reason for you to freak out over my admiring a woman. I didn't say anything when you went gaga over C-C.'_

I pointedly decided to ignore the man. But, as soon as I was able to focus again, I felt something very strange. "Female dragon?" I asked aloud.

' _Verity said her name was Crystal, remember?'_ Darryl pointed out.

"Female dragon…" I continued to call out loud as I looked in every room. "Where did she go? She couldn't have left the room, could she have?"

' _I do have a latch that leads to the roof of the building,'_ Darryl supplied. _'Since we're on the top floor and all. I mean, I rarely go up there but…'_

I let out a soft curse as I found the staircase that led to the roof. "Why didn't you tell me any of this sooner? We would have locked her up!"

' _I forgot about it myself til just now! Besides, how was I supposed to know that a dragon could even use it to get out?'_

As I reached the top of the building, I saw something hazy on the horizon on all sides that was slowly making its way up like heatwaves. I spun around and caught sight of a white dragon tail. "Female dragon!" I gasped as I realized that she was on top of the roof of the staircase. "Would you please come down from there?"

To my surprise, she did. But then, the arctic dragon began to nudge me towards that highest point of the building. I climbed up the side at her insistence, all the while wondering why I was even bothering to do as much. When my head was high enough to see, I choked hard. She had laid a nest. She had laid an honest to goodness nest!

' _Freaking awesome!'_

I felt my stomach drop down to my feet as I scrambled to stand up there. She had laid five spotted eggs in various shades of red and white. "Oh, fuck me!" I gasped at the sight. Just how fast was dragon gestation, anyhow? I felt a shudder go through me and glanced around. While I was so busy gaping, I didn't realize how fast the heatwaves rose up into the sky and began to close at the highest point of Wight-Led…which just so happened to be where I was standing!

' _Dude! What the fuck is that!?'_ Darryl questioned.

I gaped down at the white dragon, to the nest, and back up to the heatwaves. "Cosmos, am I going to regret this!" Without thinking it over twice, I draped Darryl's body over the nest of eggs just as the heatwaves seared through us both. The pain was excruciating. I felt as if I were literally being torn apart and roasted alive all at the same time. For the longest time, I didn't know who was screaming louder, Darryl or myself.

When I next opened my eyes, I didn't remember the last thing I even did. I let out a pained groan and clutched at my head. What had I done? I was looking for the female dragon and…eggs! The displacement field! " _Gravel-head_! Are you alright?" I gasped as I shot up to a sitting position. I instantly regretting it as it caused my brain to throb violently. I clutched at my head with both my hands and was surprised to feel long strands of silky hair.

"Dude, you won't force me to do anything like that ever again, will ya?"

My eyes shot right open as I look towards the sound of that familiar voice. "Darryl?" The man was laying on a cot to my left. Which meant that I was no longer inhabiting him. I began to frantically pat the body I was in. "Who is this that I am possessing? How…?"

"Calm down, Vi." Darryl drawled. "I heard them talking about an hour ago. Whatever hocus pocus they were doing to the town, it ended up splitting us in a weird way. Whatever you do, _don't_ look at yourself in a mirror just yet-"

Instinctively, I scampered off the cot and ran towards the nearest restroom, completely disregarding the man's warning.

_**"Crisis in the cosmos!"** _

My skin was so pale that my flushed face appeared pink. My eyes and hair were the navy blue that I was used to seeing in my serpent form, but the hair reached down to my waist, and it was straight. The only other hair was my eyebrows, because as far as I could see, I had no hair anywhere else. My privates had never felt more vulnerable in all the days of my life…

"I _told_ you not to look in the mirror straight away!" Darryl taunted from inside the room.

"Silence!" I huffed. And that was when I realized just how frightened I really was. Though the body was apparently mine, it didn't _feel_ like it was mine. Could I even shift back into my natural serpentine form? Were these the consequences of saving five unborn lives? "Just where are we, anyhow!?"

"We're in one of the hospital rooms of Wight-Led. You know, my home town?" Darryl replied.

"Does…that mean-?" I began, but my friend seemed to have an answer for that as well.

"Yeah, whatever they were doing worked. We're still in Wight-Led, but Wight-Led itself is _who knows_ where?"

When I came back into the room, I grimaced at the strange hospital cloth that consisted as my only covering. "How is it that _you_ still retained your facial and body hair?" I grumbled.

"Do you really wanna go there?" Darryl countered with a raised brow. "I'll show it off, if that's what you want..." He trailed off as he began to remove his own hospital cloth.

"Stop that this instant!" I practically squeaked in a panic, waving my arms in front of me. In spite of it all, my gaze ended up rolling down the light amount of chest hair and following the happy trail that led to other areas before I realized what I was doing and then I promptly turned around and clambered back onto my cot, covering myself with the pathetically thin blanket, and refusing to look the other man in the eye. It was one thing to be in control of a body like that for important purposes. It was another thing entirely to stare at that body when it was back in the rightful owner's control.

"Sheech, no need to get so jealous over it." Darryl drawled.

An awkward silence permeated around us both for a moment before a nurse came in to check up on us.

"The two of you have a lot of visitors waiting for you to be released." She mused out loud.

I felt like a child eagerly awaiting his parents. Perhaps a part of me still was a child. But, I rarely allowed such feelings to get a hold of me.

"Vianis, how are you feeling?" Cyrus asked as he entered the room.

At the wondrous sound of my master's voice, I almost felt tears brimming in my eyes. "Master Cyrus!" I whimpered. "This is terrible! Who am I? _What_ am I?" I don't know when I began to cling to him like some fool, but I certainly was.

"There, there, we'll figure it out." The blonde replied as he began to pet my head.

I let go of him and began to feel better from that touch alone. Somewhere deep inside, where my pride rested, I would have felt shame over letting such a condescending touch soothe me. But, just then, I simply didn't care.

"Are you seriously pouting?" Darryl asked as he clambered onto the other end of my cot.

I balked when I realized that he was completely naked. "Do you have no sense of modesty!?" I yelped as I immediately hid my face away against Cyrus's chest so as not to look in that direction.

"Do you have no sense as to whom you're bawling against?" The unmistakable sound of my master's ruffian's voice came from somewhere beside my cot.

I peered over at him. Sure enough, his expression was quite sour. I huffed and wiggled myself back into an upright sitting position without touching the blonde. "Master Cyrus surely knows that I have nothing but a deep respect and admiration towards him and would never compromise him in such a manner!" I insisted as I folded my arms petulantly across my chest.

"Of course I know," Cyrus replied with a soft smile. "You've done well, Vianis. I'm quite proud of you."

For a good moment, I didn't have a clue as to what he was talking about. But, then I remembered the dragon eggs. "Are they alright? The unborn dragons?" I questioned. Far be it for me to have done such a dangerous thing in vain.

"All of them are doing fine. Verity, Crystal, and the eggs." Cyrus answered.

I shot a quick glance towards Darryl and then pointedly looked away. "Darryl, I, a-hem..." I began. "I apologize for placing you in such a dangerous situation."

"Don't worry 'bout it, Vi." He replied as he placed a hand on my shoulder. "If I didn't want you to, I'd have done everything I could to stop you. But, I wanted the dragon pups to be safe, too."

I turned slightly to look him in the eye and he broke out in a grin.

"Besides, you kept your promise, didn't ya?" He added. "Said you'd give it back to me."

"Now that everyone's been accounted for, I think it's time for some well-needed rest." Revelin suggested. "Lexie has several hotel rooms with our names on them."

It wasn't until he mentioned rest that I realized just how tired the two of them looked. "Are all of you alright?" I never took into account how much Vim must have been required for a move of that scale.

"Yes, we all feel a bit worn. But, we'll recover." Cyrus admitted. "I'm sorry, Vianis. I know that you're distressed. But, do you mind waiting a few days before we start figuring out how to get you back to normal?"

"N-no," I responded. "Not at all." As much as I wanted to know what happened to me, I didn't want my master to exhaust himself.

"I'll send over a change of clothes for the both of you with Verity and let her know to show you where your rooms are in the hotel." Cyrus concluded as he walked away with his partner. "Oh, and Vianis?"

I tilted my head slightly to the side as I regarded them both. The two of them shared a look and, to my surprise, it was Revelin that spoke.

"We're all really glad you're okay."

I waited until the two of them left before I allowed the tears to pool in my eyes. I was truly a pest, if I was honest with myself. I angered and annoyed everyone I had ever come across. Estranged from my family, I tried to become the power-hungry serpent that they wanted me to be. I thought that if I returned in such glory, they would have recognized me was one of their own and perhaps even grown to care for me.

I couldn't have been more wrong.

I was startled out of my reverie when I felt a thumb slide across my cheek. I scrunched my eyes and blinked away the remaining tears. As my vision cleared, I found myself gazing into caramel-hued eyes. Immediately, I sniffled and wiped at my face. "Tell no one of this, Darryl, or I swear I'll-"

And that was when Darryl made things far more complicated than they had any right to be. For the first time in my life, my mind was completely and utterly silent as my body tried to make sense of what was happening. The tongue that invaded my mouth met no resistance due to my vast shock.

When he pulled away, I gaped at him in incredulity.

And then, I took hold of the back of his head and kissed him right back.


	7. Awkward Moments

 

**Darryl's POV:**

When I was taken over by Vianis, though it wasn't for very long, he gained my respect. Alright, so it was more than just my respect that he gained. At first, I thought that he couldn't be any more different than me. He was vain, pompous, prideful, and jittery. But, he worked so hard to focus on what was important. When our favorite stripper came on to him, he didn't immediately jump his bones. Though he pretended not to give a damn about anyone, he carried Verity back and he protected the dragon pups. Yeah, yeah, I know they aren't really 'pups' yet, as they haven't even hatched. But, I'm hoping I'll still be around for when they do.

The point is that the two of us do have _some_ things in common. We're loyal to a fault, are secretly insecure, and are damn lonely, to boot. Maybe that's how I was able to feel what he felt while still being awake. Maybe not. Hell if I knew. The one thing I did know was that, while he was in my head, I never thought of him as that weird lizard thing he really was. I saw him as a person. So, when he ended up with the body of a person…well, I couldn't help myself. I'm a man that acts on instinct. And, even though he keeps denying it, so is Vi.

Could you blame me, then, for wanting to jump his bones right there and then on that cot? Especially when he started kissing me back? Fuck no.

" _Darryl!"_

Man, but that gasp was like music to my ears. I saw a glint of fear in his eyes as I gently pressed him against the cot, but he didn't knee me in the balls, so I assumed that he was more frightened of himself at the moment. I spread my hands on his chest, getting a kick out of the contrast of brown and creamy white. His nipples were a soft pink. I wanted to know if they became darker or brighter when aroused. So, I pinched his left one between my fingers and began to suck on his right one. I chuckled around the flesh when I felt nails scratching at my scalp. I was damn happy to give the same treatment to the other bud before working my way down.

I sent him a devious expression as I rubbed my chin along the skin just above the base of his cock. "You have hairs down here alright," I snickered. "They're just so fine and powdery blue that you can barely see them unless you're inches from this treasure right here…" I then breathed hot air along the semi-erect shaft just to feel him squirm. As I laid a trail of kisses along the flesh, I uncapped the tube of lube that Verity had tossed me some hours earlier when she caught me staring at his sleeping form. The petite lady was on my list of 'best friends ever.'

"W-wait! Is that lubrication!?" Vianis hissed. "Where in the hell did you get- _angh!_ "

"I have my ways," I drawled as I continued to stretch and stimulate him. I should have known that he would have freaked out about that. Probably already thinking that I had somehow planned this out from the beginning. I set out to make him stop thinking at all.

I took my time working my way into his tight walls and then I held still. Not so much for him to adjust, but for me not to cum on the spot. This new body of his was like a godsend. It would have been damn awkward trying to rut with a lizard…but, I probably still would have gone for it so long as he liked me back. Feelings were feelings regardless of gender or species, if you asked me.

Vi, once again, surprised me. He began to slowly grind against me impatiently. "Vi!" I gasped as I squeezed his outer thighs and gave him what he wanted. I was no novice, but even I began to realize that the feelings I was starting to have for Vianis made quite a difference. I thought I seriously liked one or two of my partners in the past, but surely not enough. The energy between us felt like pure fire. The gasps I drew from him with every other thrust were so damn hot that they brought me that much closer to the edge.

I was already stroking his shaft with my hand when I felt him stiffen in shock.

"Darryl! _Verity's_ -"

Oh, was that all? "I'm not stopping," I growled into his ear as I slammed into him harder, aiming right at his sweet spot, as my thumb dug into the underside of his shaft with every stroke.

" _Hah!_ Damn it, Darryl!" He keened in a broken voice as he spurted all over the place.

That last cry was all I needed to fill him up in one final, deep thrust. Damn, but that was the best rut I've ever had with anyone. "Vi…" I rumbled as I gasped for breath. "Damn, you're _dangerous_ for me."

I carefully pulled out and looked towards the door. Sure enough, Verity stood there with her arms across her chest, but an eyebrow raised in amusement.

"After that, I'm sure you both will definitely want a change of clothes." She said as she tossed them a towel. "Thought you might need that, too." She then motioned towards the duffel bag on my cot. "I'll wait for you both outside, then."

As I cleaned us up to the best of my ability with the dry towel, I couldn't help the smirk that formed on my face at the sight of Vianis covering his bright red face in his hands.

"Cosmos, why couldn't she have just waited outside in the _first_ place?" He whined.

I pulled on the set of clothes that were my size and waited until Vianis slowly rose into a sitting position before handing him his. "I can carry you if you want, Vi," I suggested, actually feeling concerned over his pain.

The navy blue-haired man simply stood on shaky knees and carefully dressed himself. After struggling for quite a while with his pants, he glared sideways at me as a blush streaked across his face. "Just…allow me to wrap my arm around your waist for support. Only until we reach the hotel rooms."

I lifted up my arm so that he could grab me and gently placed my hand on his shoulder as we began to walk out to the hall. "You lead the pace then, angel." I saw his breath hitch just before those navy blue eyes stared up at me.

Vianis frowned for a moment. "What should…I call _you_?" He asked.

I laughed. "Whatever you want. I'm sure it'll come to you."

He had a look on his face like he didn't believe me. But, lovers' pet names were the least of my worries just then.

Verity led us to the hotel. Luckily, the gang chose the hotel closest to the hospital. I felt happy for Vianis that his friends really did wish him well. When the man's tears began to fall down his face earlier in shock over their concern, my heart had really gone out to him. Actually, I'm kind of worried that too much of my heart might be going out to him. I had been hurt quite a few times before.

When we reached the hotel lobby, the three of us suffered quite the awkward moment when our favorite stripper caught sight of us and rushed over to greet us. The chestnut-haired man was in his casual clothes, which didn't flash any kind of skin at all. But, the curly locks and pale blue eyes were more than enough to make him stand out of a crowd.

It was Verity that broke the silence. "Hey, C-C, how's it going?"

"It's wonderful to see you again," He responded.

When his gaze fell on Vianis, I felt him stiffen beside me. I decided to let the cat out of the bag. "Listen, C-C…Vianis here and I have a special bond that we couldn't quite tell you about that one night…"

"We meant no disrespect," Vianis spoke up. "You see, your home town was in danger and my friends, Verity, Darryl, and I were on a mission to protect it."

Pale blue eyes widened as the entertainer glanced from Verity to Darryl to Vianis and back again. "You were speaking through him somehow, weren't you?" He asked as he pointed from Vianis to me. "I could never forget that unique accent…Vianis?" When Vianis nodded in affirmation, he smiled. "My real name is Colibri, or Cole, for short." He then shook each of our hands in turn. "I don't know what changed from that night until now, but I can recognize a couple that's exclusive when I see one." His smile turned wry as he gazed at Vianis and me.

"If I led you on in any way, I apologize…" Vianis began.

Colibri held up a hand for him to stop. "You turned me down when you refused to accept the drink, gorgeous." He explained as he gazed back and forth between him and me again. "To tell you the truth, it didn't make much sense for that kind of voice to come out of someone that looks like Darryl."

I tugged Vianis a little closer against me and shook my head at Cole. "Nothing wrong with my voice either, little bro." My gaze fell on Verity as something came to mind. "Sis, Cole here probably has no idea what the fuck just happened with Wight-Led." I began as I hefted Vi into my arms bridal style. "Do you mind catching him up while Vi and I get settled in our rooms?"

"Rooms as in plural?" Verity questioned as she handed me a key. "I figured the two of you wouldn't mind sharing."

Vianis glared at Verity and let out a low hiss. "Treacherous woman! You've been aiding him this entire time, haven't you?"

"Guilty as charged!"

I couldn't help but laugh the entire way to our assigned room. As I walked inside, I noted that the pale man began to blush furiously. "What's wrong?" I asked him.

"I've seen a lot of different cultures in the past," He explained reluctantly. "And one of the cultures, in a dimension where Alexandra works, carrying a lover across the threshold is a tradition of lovers that unite their lives in a certain ritual or ceremony."

"Never heard of such customs," I admitted. "How do you hook up where you're from?" A wide grin formed on my face when I saw how much darker his face became. "Aren't you going to tell me?"

I heard him clear his throat and he then motioned towards the bed with his head. "Set me down and I'll try to describe it." After I did just that, he sent me a flustered glance and then straightened his posture to perfection. "As you have seen, my true form is a serpent. I was of more use to Master Cyrus in my miniature form, but my true form can barely even fit in this entire room." He made a wide gesture with his arms, a glint forming in his navy blue eyes, as if he were trying to show off his true size. His gaze became distant after that, his arms slowly lowering down onto his lap. "As serpents, we were the kings of the sea. And, as large as I was, many others were even larger. Fiercer. Stronger. I wanted nothing more than to be just like them and feel accepted."

I fell silent as he talked. I recalled feeling the same exact way on multiple occasions in my own past.

Vianis took a deep breath as he shook himself out of his reverie. "We perform an intricate dance with the mate of our choosing and cause our scales to glimmer in all of the waning colors of the sea. At the end of the dance, our bodies are intertwined and we breathe out a stream of hot water into one another's snout…" He tried to illustrate as much using his hands. "…And that's how we form a bond with our mates. Anything intimate afterwards is usually private, though I've seen other cultures being intimate out in the open."

I tried not to show any weakness when he trained his navy blue gaze back onto me.

"Do you not have a custom for couples here in Wight Led?" He questioned.

"Nothing as fancy as all that…we socialize a bit, go out to a bar or a restaurant…and we order the other person a drink. If they accept it and order us a drink in turn, then the feelings are mutual and we hook up. We don't really live in the same place when we're going out. We tend to stay at the same complex or building while we're dating, so that we're close to each other…but, when things don't turn out alright between a couple, we don't have to worry about things like moving back out."

Vianis was unusually quiet for a few moments after that. "…it sounds like your people are break-up specialists. Keep enough distance to avoid future hurt."

I grimaced as my tone of voice turned dry. "I think that really hits the nail on the head when it comes to Wight Led. Not everyone is ok with it, though. Some rebels move in together and others enjoy torturing their exes."

"I see."

Another awkward silence fell over us both. I swallowed hard and forced myself to say what I had wanted to say to him from the moment he woke up. "Let's go catch something to eat in a few hours," I suggested with a sheepish smile. "I'll buy you a drink. Something that won't hit you too hard." I added as I reached out to thread my fingers though his long hair. It earned me another bright blush.

"Then, after I order _you_ a drink, I can teach you how my people perform their mating dance." Vi replied softly.

I leaned down to kiss him when my heart skipped a beat. The warmth of his trembling tongue against mine chased away the lingering doubts I had. He liked me. How ironic it was that someone as OCD and egotistical as Vianis could come to like someone like me. Weeks before I was taken over by him, my life was firmly ruled by Gravel, and any other drug I could get my hands on. I wanted to forget, to will myself out of existence. I didn't want to make new friends, let alone get back onto the dating scene. But, Vianis…he was my new addiction. We were both going out on a limb for one another.

For the first time in months, I was looking forward to what tomorrow would bring.

:::::::::::::::

When I woke up the following morning, I realized that it was going to be one of _those_ days. You know, the kind of day that starts off on the wrong foot and just keeps getting progressively worse?

I was startled awake by a frightened Vianis clinging tightly to my body. Alright, so he was actually more like terrified. Anyway, it was a weird thing to see. Vi usually had a dramatic 'I'm panicking, but I'm gonna do what I have to do' kind of thing going. This time, he was just frozen. The first thing I saw when I opened my eyes was a group of black shadow-like people with their hands on their waists leaning down towards my angel.

"I've heard of shady folk, but the lot of you take the cake when it comes to darkness." I drawled. The shadow-people didn't look amused. They had no faces, so it was weird trying to figure out what kind of mood they were in, period. One of them pointed at Vianis. "Hold up, brother. Whatever beef you got with Vianis, you'll have to go through me first."

And then, the two of us were surrounded by darkness.


	8. The Hazel Falcon

 

 

**Cyrus's POV:**

I woke up half-sprawled on top of my partner. When I opened my eyes, I realized that it was rather dark outside. We had slept for over twelve hours, apparently. I let out a snort of amusement at the sound of Revelin's soft snoring. I sat up and stretched, twisting my back a bit, before getting out of bed and speed-walking to the bathroom. A sigh of relief escaped me as I emptied my bladder, followed by a wide yawn.

The rooms we had chosen were rather large. The bathroom was proportionately as large, as well. After washing my face with some cold water, I glanced at myself in the mirror. My hair had grown steadily as the months passed. Currently, it fell to my shoulders in white-blond waves and curls. The top half of my hair was a complete mess after sleeping for so long. Once again, I seriously contemplated chopping it all off.

The sound of Revelin's loud yawn drew my attention to the bedroom, and I quickly moved forward as he all but ran over to the toilet to relieve himself, as well.

"Did we sleep a whole day, or has it been two days already?" Revelin mused aloud.

"We'll find out soon enough," I replied.

Revelin's hair wasn't nearly on the same level as messy as mine was, even after sleeping for so long. A part of me was envious, but the other part found it to be one of his sexiest quirks. When he caught me staring, he gave me a questioning glance.

"It's nothing. I was just thinking of cutting my hair again-" I began, but he immediately cut me off.

"No!" He whined. "I like it this length; it suits you. Trim it if you must, but don't cut it too short, Cy."

I let out a long sigh. "We'll see."

Revelin's gaze shifted towards the shower. "Hmm. We never did finish what we started during that one shower while we were on Garridan's ship…"

A half-smirk tugged at one of my lips. "Are you suggesting what I think you're suggesting, Revelin Eferize?"

"Absolutely," He fervently replied as he tugged me gently by the wrist. But, it wasn't the shower he ventured to climb in. Instead, he headed past it towards a tub that was similar to a Jacuzzi.

After a few curses and some tinkering, Revelin figured out how to cycle warm water. He tested the water first, walking in until the water reached his waist. Then, he submerged himself completely for a moment before coming back up. "Yes, that feels great." He practically purred.

I didn't hesitate to join him. I even submerged myself completely for a moment, as well. He was right. Perhaps Wight-Led added some medicated salt or soothing scent to the water, but whatever it was, it felt heavenly. I made my way towards the liquid soaps and cloths on the side and moved as if to wash Revelin's back, but he placed a hand on my wrist to stop me and set the cloth aside.

"Not yet, Mr. Kairos," He grumbled as he wrapped his arms around my waist and pulled me flush against him. "We've been delayed and interrupted far too many times. I fully intend to make up each and every missed opportunity right here and now."

A shiver rolled down my spine when his voice fell to a deep, sultry tone. "Ah!" I gasped when I felt the all-too-familiar sensation of Revelin's Vim surrounding my inner walls, expanding and releasing the flesh in tandem. The timing and energy were consistent, so I knew that my partner meant serious business.

It had certainly been a while since the last time we got busy like this, so I knew better than to distract him by touching or kissing him. Instead, I rested my elbows on the edge of the tub and leaned back as he prepared me. Revelin's blue eyes were alight as he watched me squirm and gasp with every other stretch of his Vim.

"Cosmos!" I keened. When his eyes lowered to my steadily growing erection, I felt a blush rise to my cheeks. I didn't feel shy about what we were doing. We had been lovers for a little over a year, after all. But, since we had been holding back for a while, I felt a bit embarrassed by how fast and how hard I grew under his gaze.

Revelin was a rather fair lover, in my opinion. There were times that he allowed me to take over, as well as times when he allowed me to bend  _him_  over. But, for the time being, I was more than willing to be the one that was taken.

"Oh no, don't!" I whimpered and bit my lip to stifle a moan when Revelin ran his forefinger under my shaft in a long line.

"I've missed you too, little Cy," Revelin whispered. "You've grown since I last saw you."

"For the love of the cosmos," I hissed. "It hasn't been  _that_  long." I turned around and took both of his hands, placing them on my hips as I jutted my backside out. "In any case, if you don't do something about it now, you'll lose your chance."

I felt him press closer to me as he breathed against my ear. "Oh? I think I have a solution for that." He chuckled in a mischievous manner.

I nearly yelped when I felt a ring of his Vim close in snugly beneath the base of my shaft and balls. I had mixed feelings about it. On one hand, it would help ensure that I didn't come too soon. On the other hand, my flesh was trapped in Revelin's Vim until he released it. It was another level of control that I had to decide whether to give up or not. But, I trusted the man. In spite of everything, I trusted him. "Alright," I conceded as I spread my legs and pushed back against him. "I'll give it a try."

The rumbling growl that resonated from Revelin's chest caused me to blush a little harder. I wondered briefly if he ever did these kinds of things with lovers in the past and just how far he delved into bondage before I came along, if at all.

"Cy," He hissed as he readied himself behind me.

My thoughts were immediately scattered to the wind when I felt my partner sliding right on home. Revelin was certainly pulling all the stops with his Vim. There was a double layer that acted as a soft buffer that diminished the friction. Regardless of how hard he thrusted into me, I was protected.

I felt the pleasure and heat build at a steady pace as I began to move back against him, as well. "Come on, Rev. Don't hold back." I urged him between moans. "We have a lot to catch up for."

"With…pleasure," He groaned as he spread my legs even further and began to downright pound into me.

The water began to splash around us, but the sounds that came out of our mouths were so loud that it drowned out the sound of the splashing. "Cosmos!" I hissed when I felt my shaft harden a few more notches. It took discipline not to reach down and finish myself off, Vim ring be damned. But, I wanted our rutting to last.

My breath hitched when I felt the hot spurts of Revelin's seed spilling inside me far sooner than I had anticipated. Another shiver rolled down my spine when he groaned my name and kissed my shoulder. I felt him breathing against my skin as we kept still and waited. After a few minutes, I let out a breath of relief when my erection dwindled back down. I turned around and instantly regretted it. The look in Revelin's multi-blue eyes nearly aroused me all over again. I averted my gaze and tried to relax again in vain.

"Look at you, all flushed and frustrated." Revelin practically purred. "Want to call it quits? I have no qualms with jacking off while sucking you off."

I sent him a glare and reached up to rake my hands through the Wanderer's black locks, giving them a rough tug. "No, damn it," I grumbled. "I'll wait…I want to feel you inside me when I let go." I let out a long sigh. "I just don't want it to end too fast. I know I'm not going to last very long this time."

"Lean back with your elbows on the edge like you were before," He instructed in a husky voice as he began to stroke himself.

I did as he asked, tilting my head back so that I could sweep the half-drying strands out of my face with one hand. The movement drew the Wanderer's gaze to my face and then his eyes drew down to my lips. I spread my legs just as he moved forward to kiss me, and that was when I realized how bad of an idea that truly was.

I felt my heartbeat kick up from the moment I felt his lips against mine. Revelin wasted no time in invading my mouth with his tongue. I took in a sharp breath through my nose as I did my best to keep up with his tongue's demands. I bit his upper lip and, as he finally pulled away, it was with a final suck on the tip of my tongue that left me eager for more. I didn't even have to look down to know that I was all but fully erect once again. The bastard knew how his kisses affected me.

The smug smile on his face would have aggravated me at any other time. But, just then, all I wanted was to feel his hot flesh inside me. He finally obliged. I arched back onto my elbows as I felt every inch of him make its way inside. "Rev!" I gasped as I wrapped my legs around him. Fuck! Was I already starting to pre-cum?

I was jolted and let out a sound when my partner pinched one of my butt cheeks hard. "Damn it, Revelin! What the hell was that for?" I hissed as my hands clenched the edge of the tub hard in anger.

The dark-haired man simply smiled sheepishly at me, holding perfectly still. "You said you wanted it to last longer. I'm giving you the opportunity to redirect your thoughts long enough to relax."

"You know damn well that it's impossible to think of anything else when your dick's wedged up my- ah!" I nearly choked on air when he gave a sharp thrust towards my prostate. "Will…kill you!" I growled as I began to meet his thrusts. "…later!"

"Then I'd die with a smile on my face," Revelin replied with that very smile on his face. He then leaned back and grasped my hips tightly as he began to drive himself into my depths with purpose. "Cosmos, Cy!"

I hissed as each rough movement caused the Vim ring to pull slightly at my skin. I raked my gaze up my partner's waist to take in his expressions. He looked like he was struggling to concentrate. His favorite position was anything that involved us being face to face. I briefly wondered just how close he was to the edge. But, by that point, I no longer cared who came first or how fast. All I wanted was to see him lose himself inside of me.

"Revelin!" I keened, arching back as I felt the beginning of the end. The Wanderer realized as much, as well, and reached out to give my straining member one soft stroke.

"Then cum for me, Cy," He whispered headily, releasing the Vim ring and pressing his thumb against the underside of my shaft. "Let yourself go."

I needed no further encouragement or stimulation. "Cosmos!" I cried out. My body had just about had it. I felt it unwind in a rolling spur of energy as I spilled myself in several short bursts. I drew in several shaky breaths. "Rev…"

For a moment, I was worried that Revelin wouldn't reach his completion. But, I worried in vain. He released but moments after me. As I felt his fluids filling me a second time, I realized just how sated I was. At least, for the time being.

I winced as he slowly pulled out, but that pain was minimal in comparison to what I'd feel the next day. I carefully stretched out one leg at a time under the water. Revelin urged me to turn around with a hand on my shoulder. As he began to gently wash and kiss my back, I let out a soft noise of content. "If nothing drastic happens tomorrow, I'll be up for another round," I suggested.

"Cosmos, may nothing drastic happen tomorrow!" Revelin prayed fervently.

Soft laughter escaped me. When I felt soothed enough, I helped wash Revelin's own back. It was still dark out when we returned to the bedroom. We merely clambered back into bed, dried and naked, as we began to catch up on our sleep.

 

* * *

 

**Verity's POV:**

I let all the sleeping dogs lie for a day or two. Though I had expected Darryl and Vianis to have at each other as soon as they were alone, I hadn't expected to catch Alexandra and Luis doing the same! As Lexie's bestie, I knew she had her doubts about Luis in the past. But, apparently, they got themselves squared away. Though I knew that it meant that I probably wasn't going to see Lexie as often from then on, I was truly glad for them.

With most of the Vim users around me crashing, I took it upon myself to let Garridan and Kazren know what was going on. But, the ones that had the charms for the outlaws were Revelin and Cyrus. I had no choice but to sneak into their room to find it. I walked briskly down the hallway that led to their suite and paused outside of it. As I rubbed my fingers together, a burgundy-hued Vim keycard formed from the bottom to the top. When the card finished forming, I blew the steam off of it with a puff of air.

I used the card to sneak in, careful not to wake them. The charms were right on the nightstand, thankfully enough. Before walking through the door again, I gave them a last glance. "Rest well, my friends," I quietly whispered as I shut the door again.

With the charms in hand, I went outside to activate the one for Garridan.

"Yes, they are all out for the count," I spoke into the charm a moment later. "However, to tell you the truth, I think they miscalculated. I've been walking around the perimeter, and there's just no way that this is the empty planet they were aiming for. That means this is an occupied planet. Of what, I've yet to find out."

"It wouldn't be prudent to explore too far alone, Milady. Wait until the others are awake." Garridan insisted. "And, I take this to mean that we don't have any coordinates yet?"

"No, but 'Ren over there can create an Arch-Passage tracking my Vim signature so the two of you could find out," I suggested. "I doubt he'd want to try to make a powerful enough one to send the whole ship through…"

"Not even if I were paid to!" Kazren huffed.

A glint shone in Garridan's pale green eyes. "Leave Kazren to me. Expect us shortly."

"Just what do you mean by that?" Kazren squeaked.

I smiled broadly when the connection cut after that. I would find out which way they chose to arrive later on. For the time being, I headed back to my room to a small Arch-Passage I had built facing the ground. The setting was already there, so I merely activated it with my Vim, grabbed my bag, and dropped into the passage.

I landed on a large memory foam-like substance into a dimension I had found especially for Crystal and her eggs. The planet was inhabited by only a species of gentle birds and bees without stingers. The entire planet wreaked havoc on my allergies but was plenty safe for a dragon mother to nest with her eggs. "Crystal!" I called as I hauled the bag over my shoulder and headed in the direction of her nest. "Brought you some food," I explained as I laid down all sorts of hams and beef jerky in front of her.

As she began to eat, I gently stroked and patted her wings. The dragon and I had come a long way. When we first met, she had set out to kill me. She very nearly succeeded. And, in the process, gained my respect. There was a moment that I had gained the upper hand and could have ended her life, but I chose not to. She fought so desperately that I figured she deserved to live. I don't know how, but the two of us became friends.

I carefully sat next to her in the nest. "Garridan and Kazren will be coming soon," I told her. "I'll be sure that they bring Ronin along so that we can get him over here, ok?"

Crystal leaned down to look at me. I saw gratitude in her eyes. I pressed a hand to the side of her muzzle. "Don't mention it."

:::::::

Some time later, I found myself walking around Wight-Led. Other than feeling an 'odd earthquake,' the citizens went about as if nothing happened, completely oblivious to the fact that they were no longer on the same planet. It was highly amusing when, now and then, one of them would look up at the sky in a puzzled manner, wondering why it was a slightly different shade than usual.

In the midst of my people watching, a glint of the charm chain drew my attention. I had completely forgotten that I was still carrying it. When I held it up to my face, I saw a little falcon glowing in a hazel hue. Just whose charm was that? I let out a gasp and took a few steps back when I realized that the person on the other side was coming through.

The charm shone the hazel light outwards a few feet ahead of me, and a teenager rose out of it.

"Uncle Cy!" The teen exclaimed. But, his face fell the moment he saw me with the charms. "Oh? Who are you?"

"I should be asking  _you_  that question. My name is Verity." I replied as I glanced him over suspiciously. His hair was brown and straight. One side of it was shaved, and the rest was cut asymmetrically. His eyes were the same hazel hue as Cyrus's, but there the similarities ended. The teenager was tall and lean. His skin even had a healthy tan. "Are you really Cyrus's nephew?"

The teenager tilted his head slightly as he looked me over. "How do  _you_  know my uncle?" He questioned as the joy in his eyes changed to sharp suspicion.

"He's one of my besties." I simply replied.

" _Bestie?_  My uncle doesn't  _have_  any friends, let alone people close enough to call a bestie." He responded.

I let out a sigh. I was patient with people, children, and animals. I was not patient with teenagers. "Believe it or not, it's the truth, kid."

"I'm not a kid!"

"Come on, I'll take you to see your uncle." I said, choosing to ignore his outburst. "Just, take it easy on him. He used up a lot of Vim, and he's been sleeping to recover."

"What did he need to use so much Vim for?"

"You ask a lot of questions. How do you expect me to give you so many answers when I don't even know your name yet?" I countered.

He actually looked sheepish after that. "Sorry. My name's Talon."

"Talon. Your uncle, with the help of a group of people, moved this entire town to another planet." I explained.

"Whoa!" He gasped.

I had already taken several steps before I realized that he stopped walking and had to double back again.

"On second thought, I think we better let him rest." Talon conceded.

"Wise choice," I added. "In any case, let me find you a room at the hotel we're all staying at for now."

"Man, I must have come at the worst time ever." The teenager mumbled.

"What did you need your uncle for? You're an Academy student, aren't you? Shouldn't you still be in school?" I asked after I ordered another room at the reception desk of the lobby and handed him the key.

"We were asked to shadow someone we respected for a week so that we could see them in their work environment," He replied as he pocketed the card key. "My uncle told me he had become a Wanderer and that he had a partner, but little else."

"The life of a Wanderer is a chaotic one. You're lucky you were able to get even that much information out of him." I snorted. "You definitely chose well for your project, though." A thought suddenly occurred to me. There was one person I knew for a fact that could handle babysitting a teenager for a day. Darryl. "If you follow me, I'll introduce you to two more of your uncle's friends."

I led him to Darryl and Vianis's room. Once there, I knocked loudly. "Guys, is it safe to come in!? No one naked?" I heard Talon snickering next to me, but I didn't hear any noise from inside the room. Vianis would have surely bickered at me by now. I frowned. "Give me one second," I said as I rubbed my fingers together to form another Vim key card. I flipped the switch as I peeked inside and saw that they weren't on the bed.

"Wait right here, I'll be right back," I said as I closed the door behind me and rushed over to the bathroom. They weren't there, either. As I glanced around, I saw the clothes I got them were still in the duffel bag. Something was wrong.

I rushed out of the room and saw that Talon's attention was down the hallway. When I looked in the same direction, I saw Cole. "C-C!" I called out as I rushed over to the slender man. "Have you seen Darryl or Vianis around?"

"No, not since we were all in the lobby a couple of days ago." Colibri mused. His fire opal blue eyes darted up to Talon for a moment before he reached out an elegant hand. "My name's Colibri. And you are?"

"Talon." The teenager replied as, instead of shaking the man's hand, he kissed the back of it. "Pleasure to meet you."

I thought about my responsibility for a brief moment, and then cast it to the wind. "Cole, this is my friend Cyrus's eighteen-year-old nephew. Can you show him around while I look for Darryl and Vianis?"

I had heard the stripper's breath hitch before he responded. "Yes, of course."

I ran off without looking back. If I were a naked Darryl and Vianis, where would I go? Maybe the spa! I decided to start there.


End file.
